Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
Anybody here use the services of Scriptshark.com before, and if so what was your experience like? Thumbs up/down? Worth it? Not?
Scriptshark ?
- Thread starter Randall_Oelerich
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BitMaestro
Well-known member
Can you narrow the question down a bit?
On one hand, they're legit. They have the connections they claim to. And deals do occasionally result.
On the other hand, they're expensive. IMO most folks would be better off if they spent that money on books, classes, etc., joined a writing group (heck, post some pages here for that matter), and did their own networking.
Does that help? - Mark
On one hand, they're legit. They have the connections they claim to. And deals do occasionally result.
On the other hand, they're expensive. IMO most folks would be better off if they spent that money on books, classes, etc., joined a writing group (heck, post some pages here for that matter), and did their own networking.
Does that help? - Mark
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
Let me put it this way. Some time ago I paid $750 for three hours of phone consultation time with a screenwriting how-to author/guru to discuss a treatment I wrote for a creature horror spec. Long story I felt totally ripped off, because it was 500% obvious he had not spent more than 60 seconds (if that) reading the treatment prior to the our phone conversation (and I specifically had asked him to, and had said to budget 30 minutes of the paid time for that)-- because he had no idea about the creature of my story (and really, for a creature horror, that is kind of critical). Plus he would not let me even ask him a question, he would cut me off, dominate the conversation, he was in love with his voice. I feel the person paying for the consultation ought at least be able to get in a few questions during the conversation; and his conversation ended up being a rehash of material in his book, not about my story treatment (which I suspect he had not read, so he had nothing else to talk about except his own book material). So I don't want to repeat that. Thus wondering what sort of experience anybody has had with scriptshark consultation. No interested per se in terms of what scriptshark can do for connections; just the consulting aspect.
I am also considering going with someone like Tom Lazarus, either independently or through UCLA, as a script mentor. He certainly has the screenwriting skills no doubt, blockbuster movie credits (Stigmata, etc). Whereas that guru I paid $750 to had never written a screenplay, although that is not to say that authors do not have wisdom to impart.
I am also considering going with someone like Tom Lazarus, either independently or through UCLA, as a script mentor. He certainly has the screenwriting skills no doubt, blockbuster movie credits (Stigmata, etc). Whereas that guru I paid $750 to had never written a screenplay, although that is not to say that authors do not have wisdom to impart.
JonathanLB
Carbonite Member
I've never understood the people who can't actually do something, but they are supposed to be able to tell you how to do it? I don't buy that at all. Granted, a golf instructor isn't going to be as good as Tiger Woods let's say, even if he's teaching Tiger Woods, but golf pros are GOOD still, in their own right. The pro who helped me back in the day was still a great golfer, he just wasn't on the Tour, he preferred to teach. I think he was on the Tour earlier in his career, probably had mediocre success. But the point is he was able to play golf extremely well. It wasn't like he just talked about it or had "watched a lot of video footage of other people golfing," lol.
That's why I don't understand how you can have someone who is a script guru but doesn't even write scripts. My screenwriting teacher in college, who was mainly a film historian / film scholar, had admittedly never written a single screenplay himself, yet he gave me my first B in all of college on my screenplay. He made me redo my concept because it "might" offend some hardcore Christians. A lot of his advice was terrible, frankly, and looking back I have no respect at all for him because the guy can't write anything. I'm 100 times the screenwriter he is, the dude is an amateur, and has no right to judge anyone else on anything.
I don't care how great of a book someone thinks they wrote on screenwriting, if they don't actually do professional screenwriting themselves it's impossible to respect them. There is no way, no how, that anyone should take advice from someone about ANYTHING they haven't even done before, it's a completely absurd idea from every angle. Hey I've never flown a plane but I read a lot about it and I get the idea, please read my book about how to be a pilot! No, it just doesn't work that way.
And $750 for advice, it better be really good!
That's why I don't understand how you can have someone who is a script guru but doesn't even write scripts. My screenwriting teacher in college, who was mainly a film historian / film scholar, had admittedly never written a single screenplay himself, yet he gave me my first B in all of college on my screenplay. He made me redo my concept because it "might" offend some hardcore Christians. A lot of his advice was terrible, frankly, and looking back I have no respect at all for him because the guy can't write anything. I'm 100 times the screenwriter he is, the dude is an amateur, and has no right to judge anyone else on anything.
I don't care how great of a book someone thinks they wrote on screenwriting, if they don't actually do professional screenwriting themselves it's impossible to respect them. There is no way, no how, that anyone should take advice from someone about ANYTHING they haven't even done before, it's a completely absurd idea from every angle. Hey I've never flown a plane but I read a lot about it and I get the idea, please read my book about how to be a pilot! No, it just doesn't work that way.
And $750 for advice, it better be really good!
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
It wasn't, because all it was was a rehashing of his book material, very little pertaining to my actual story / treatment. I would have felt I got something out of it if it actually related to MY story. But the $ had already been PayPal'ed in advance, so I was pretty much screwed. Let others be warned. I at least would never pay for a phone consultation-- much better to do it by email / writing, because then I could reply "But hey, that's interesting-- your book material / concepts, but how about addressing my story treatment?"
r
BitMaestro
Well-known member
OK. So, on one hand, I've never heard of anyone having that poor an experience with ScriptShark. (Sorry, to hear about that, BTW.)
On the other hand, I think your other approach--engaging someone you already have a relationship with, like one of your profs at UCLA--is more likely to yield a satisfactory result.
HTH - M
On the other hand, I think your other approach--engaging someone you already have a relationship with, like one of your profs at UCLA--is more likely to yield a satisfactory result.
HTH - M
livmac1966
New member
I've never used Sriptshark but just had a look at their website & there doesn't seem to be a lot of success stories. The ones they've published are 9 years apart (!) and although it says 3 pages, when you click on pages 2 and 3, it just repeats page 1 again. Not good 
$750 sounds excessive to me. Unfortunately there are thousands of dirt bags out there getting rich off of our dreams to be successful. Be careful who you give your money to & research thoroughly BEFOREHAND. My advice is to leave your screenplay for about a month & then go back and have another read yourself - it is truly amazing how your perspective changes & you can clearly see yourself where the good & not so good parts are. I have used Scriptpimp b4 & I think they charged me around $250 (was a few years ago). I found them very helpful but $250 would be my absolute limit. I think they have a real nerve to ask for $750, unless they are Shane Black, John August or somebody like that. BTW, John August has his own website that he answers questions on if you're lucky. Of course he won't read your script but gives great advice in general.
Good luck
$750 sounds excessive to me. Unfortunately there are thousands of dirt bags out there getting rich off of our dreams to be successful. Be careful who you give your money to & research thoroughly BEFOREHAND. My advice is to leave your screenplay for about a month & then go back and have another read yourself - it is truly amazing how your perspective changes & you can clearly see yourself where the good & not so good parts are. I have used Scriptpimp b4 & I think they charged me around $250 (was a few years ago). I found them very helpful but $250 would be my absolute limit. I think they have a real nerve to ask for $750, unless they are Shane Black, John August or somebody like that. BTW, John August has his own website that he answers questions on if you're lucky. Of course he won't read your script but gives great advice in general.
Good luck
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
I think you are right. I might look into working with Tom Lazarus (Stigmata) through UCLA. He's walked the walk.
A Messenger
Active member
I've never had a script shark appraisal on one of my scripts but I have read quite a few of their assessments.
They do generally provide some pretty good insights into the piece and make some good assessments as to it's marketability. I'm not sure it's much better than what you'd get by having a few trusted friends review it though. I personally would not spend $175 on their treatments.
Not sure if this is cool with the admins or not but I'd recommend getting involved with triggerstreet.com. I think you can get a lot more insight into your script that way then you'd get through the shark.
They do generally provide some pretty good insights into the piece and make some good assessments as to it's marketability. I'm not sure it's much better than what you'd get by having a few trusted friends review it though. I personally would not spend $175 on their treatments.
Not sure if this is cool with the admins or not but I'd recommend getting involved with triggerstreet.com. I think you can get a lot more insight into your script that way then you'd get through the shark.
Don't use them.
Don't use them.
Don't use them.
The analysts are inexperienced, never gone to film school or sold a script. They are rude and hostile. And if you do get a good review, don't believe it because they don't have good taste.
Personally, I'm not of the opinion that someone needs to have gone to film school or have sold a script to provide thoughtful and constructive coverage.
However, having just used Scriptshark.com myself, I can tell you the coverage I received was neither of these things, and I would definitely not use them again. For $175 they promise a review of 5-7 pages, that includes a synopsis and comments. I got 4 1/8 pages. When you factor in the giant headers on every one of their pages, I got less than 4, and half of that was taken up by a grid with check marks.
As for the coverage itself, it was readily apparent that very little time was spent in the writing of it. The "synopsis" glossed over whole sections of the script, regurgitated random details with no context, and even referred to things that didn't actually happen in the script. It honestly made me wonder if the reviewer had ever written a synopsis before, or even knew what one was. The comments were written in a stream of consciousness manner with so many typos and grammatical errors it was at times hard to decipher what was being said. Often the reviewer would go off on tangents that were neither relevant or helpful, and in one particularly embarrassing instance even suggested adding a scene that was in fact already in the script. Not only that, but at point he resorted to comparisons between my script and an episode of Seinfeld, saying that not only did he think I should have copied what they did in that episode (i.e. be derivative and/or plagiaristic), but made the absurd implication that a 30 minute TV show and feature film are structurally interchangeable.
To be fair, maybe I just got a bad analyst. In which case, make sure to avoid "JP" at all costs. Although I have to wonder at any service that would hire such an incompetent and careless reviewer.
If I had it to do over again, I would use Script Fix, which alas I discovered too late. I haven't used them yet, but they offer studio coverage for $60. Even if it turns out to be as inept as Scriptshark, that's a much easier pill to swallow than $175.
However, having just used Scriptshark.com myself, I can tell you the coverage I received was neither of these things, and I would definitely not use them again. For $175 they promise a review of 5-7 pages, that includes a synopsis and comments. I got 4 1/8 pages. When you factor in the giant headers on every one of their pages, I got less than 4, and half of that was taken up by a grid with check marks.
As for the coverage itself, it was readily apparent that very little time was spent in the writing of it. The "synopsis" glossed over whole sections of the script, regurgitated random details with no context, and even referred to things that didn't actually happen in the script. It honestly made me wonder if the reviewer had ever written a synopsis before, or even knew what one was. The comments were written in a stream of consciousness manner with so many typos and grammatical errors it was at times hard to decipher what was being said. Often the reviewer would go off on tangents that were neither relevant or helpful, and in one particularly embarrassing instance even suggested adding a scene that was in fact already in the script. Not only that, but at point he resorted to comparisons between my script and an episode of Seinfeld, saying that not only did he think I should have copied what they did in that episode (i.e. be derivative and/or plagiaristic), but made the absurd implication that a 30 minute TV show and feature film are structurally interchangeable.
To be fair, maybe I just got a bad analyst. In which case, make sure to avoid "JP" at all costs. Although I have to wonder at any service that would hire such an incompetent and careless reviewer.
If I had it to do over again, I would use Script Fix, which alas I discovered too late. I haven't used them yet, but they offer studio coverage for $60. Even if it turns out to be as inept as Scriptshark, that's a much easier pill to swallow than $175.
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
I have pretty much given up on gurus and what you describe, too, been too many times, realized not a lot of thought was put into the service; i mean how motivated can most of the people doing this be, having do it over and over and over and over.
You might enjoy this blog discussion, started by former exec producer
http://www.screenwriterunknown.com/...me-executive-vice-president-of-a-major-studio
and be sure to read the part about gurus.
R
vcassel
Veteran
$750?! Good Lord, I'm in the wrong end of this business. Instead of actually doing good work and selling it, I should be preying on people's nascent careers with worthless advice. In addition to never having wrote or sold a screenplay, I bet he never even read or provided coverage to a studio before.
I'll read your screenplay, give page by page notes, and provide coverage for free (offer only open to you). STOP paying people. I'll get back to you in about a week (crazy schedule right now) and we can back and forth about it through email.
I'll read your screenplay, give page by page notes, and provide coverage for free (offer only open to you). STOP paying people. I'll get back to you in about a week (crazy schedule right now) and we can back and forth about it through email.
Chris Santucci
Veteran
I've spent time on American Zoetrope and Trigger Street reading many awful scripts and a few good ones in exchange for feedback on my own and even though I got some very helpful feedback, I'm not in a hurry to go through that particular process again. I can understand how numb a professional reader/analyst would get.
The thing is, you have to get feedback from objective sources who have some insight into what might translate well into a compelling film. I'd never subject friends to a 100 page screenplay. It's just too much to ask.
I had a writer I collaborate with send one of his feature length screenplays to Scriptshark once and he got pretty good notes from AM even though I agreed with about half of it.
I'd recommend American Zoetrope.
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